The Suitcase Clone by Robin Sloan

 

James Bascule has always lived in Northern California except for one trip to Europe where he fell in love and got his heart broken.  Now he is adrift.  It's time for college but he's not sure that's what he wants to do.  He knows the military isn't for him but what is?

Then James meets a man who would love to hire him.  The man is starting a vineyard and wants to hire a suitcase clone.  That's someone who goes to a famous vineyard, snips a vine from there and brings it home to be propagated elsewhere.  James doesn't have any other plans so he says yes.

But can he pull it off?  There is a partner, a woman who plays techno music and he can go into the vineyard as her technician.  He has the suitcase and a place to hide the cutting.  Now the only thing that's left is to find a way to steal a cutting and get home without being detected.  Is he up to the task?

Robin Sloan is an American author and his interests lie in the fields of technology and AI.  He also is part owner of a company that makes olive oil and lives in Northern California.  This novella fits between two of his other books, Mr. Penumbra's Twenty-Four Hour Bookstore and Sourdough.  James is a loveable villain who the reader is sure will eventually be caught but probably get by with not much punishment.  It is comedic without being overwhelming, just enough to make reading about James enjoyable.  This book is recommended for literary fiction readers.